Crutch.



A. R. HUNTER.

CRUTCH.

APPLxcArloN FILED MAY la'. 1911.

80 vide a rubber bag A of the known pneumatic ANDREW RITCI-IIE HUNTER,OF WELBECK, NEAR WORKSOP, ENGLAND.

CRUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented sept. 10,1918.

Application led May 15, 1917. Serial N o. 168,686.

T0 all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, ANDREW RITcHiE HUNTER, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at Pine Lodge, Welbeck, nearWorksop, in the county of Nottingham, England, have invented new anduseful Improvements in or Relating to Crutches, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to .certain improvements in crutches of the kindhaving resilient heads, either pneumatic or otherwise, designed toafford greater ease a'Iid comfort to the patient under the arm-pit.

Reference will be made hereinafter to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate suitable forms of the invention. In these drawings, l

Fi ure l is a cross section of a wooden crutc head with its improvedpneumatic cushion and casing, and Fig. 2 a section of same at rightangles to Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is a sectional partial view of the top of a metal crutch, adaptedto receive the .improved pneumatic head,

Fig. 4: a View of the casing from below,

laced up to inclose the pneumatic cushion, but not yet applied to thehead.

According to my invention, in order to ease the pressure under thearm-pits, I protype adapted, when iniiated, to lie upon and slightlyoverhang the top of the crutch head dished to form a bed. An ordinaryinflatmg valve C is provided, which is adapted to be passed downwardthrough the crutch head, which is perforated for the purpose. To protectthe bag from abrasion against the head and at the same time to insurethat it shall retain its central position on the crutch head, I providea suitable leather or canvas casing which in cross section somewhatresembles the ligure .8, the upper chamber D to hold the bag and fthelower E to hold the crutch head. Longitudinal openings F G, along thebases of these chambers, afford means of access for Jinserting orremoving the bag A and the 'head B respectively.

Hooks or eyelets H (Fig. 4) andA laces J are provided to close theopenings. and to draw the casing closely around its contents, the upperchamber containing the bag being closed,- as in Fig. 4, before the lowerone is placed over the head. The opening G in the lower chamber is soshaped that the sides K and ends L form four flaps which are adapted tobe brought down over the sides and ends of the head and secured below bylacing, which may be the same lacing J already mentioned, so as toprevent both lateral and longitudinal shifting, such lacing J `passingthrough lace holes M in the edges of the flaps K and L.

he stems may be inserted as shown by N in Fig. 1, or sockets R as isshown in Fig.

3. In the metal head B shown in Fig. 3, the sockets R for receiving thestems N can be formed or cast integral with the head.

What I claim is A pneumatic cushion for a crutch head, comprising aninflatable bag with inflating valve, a leather casing formed with twochambers, an upper one to hold the said bag and a lower one to enwrapthe crutchhead, both with longitudinal openings in their bases, and withmeans to close the said openings, substantially as shown. and described.

ANDREW 'RITCHIE HUNTER.

Witnesses J oHN M. SAVAGE, EDITH M. NEWTON.

